


Fall from Grace

by Komoru



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Komoru/pseuds/Komoru
Summary: This story contains major spoilers for Persona 5: Royal, please proceed with caution. Full summary inside.Everyone had genuine smiles on their faces.Except him.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 7
Kudos: 77





	1. Summary

Everyone had genuine smiles on their faces.

Except Ren.

He smiled when Morgana greeted him every morning with a cup of coffee.

He smiled when he saw Ryuji among the track team.

He smiled when he saw Ann and Shiho together.

He smiled when he saw Futaba and Wakaba make dinner with Sojiro.

He smiled when he saw Makoto and Sae get along, and beam about their father.

He smiled when he saw Yusuke paint under the guidance of Madarame.

He smiled when he saw Haru enjoying her father’s presence.

He smiled when he saw Kasumi, no longer haunted by her past.

He even smiled when he played chess with Akechi.

But his smile never reached his eyes.

Deep down, he knew that their happiness was fabricated. Ren knew this wasn’t real, that they were living under someone else’s control. He should have been happy, so why was he feeling _so guilty?_

But it was fine, he could live with that guilt. He had burden placed on him before, this wouldn’t be the one to break him. After all, it was for the sake of his friends.

If they were smiling, if their wishes came true, then it didn’t matter if his smile was fake.

Right?


	2. Adjustments

Ren had a rude awakening.

He felt a hand grip his shoulder and his world was shaken up. He tried swatting away the force, but his effort was in vain, as the same grip came back stronger than ever.

“Come on, Ren, it’s time to wake up!”

When he finally cracked his eyes open, he was greeted with the face of Mona just inches away from his. The other teen lit up with a smile, realizing Ren was awake. “Finally! You’re up. Geez, took you long enough.”

Ren groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Mona took a step back, giving him space. He grinned as Ren was waking up. “I know you’ve enjoyed your winter break, but you can’t sleep in anymore.”

He rolled his eyes and pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Pretty ironic, coming from someone who always told me to go to bed early.” Ren retorted.

Mona rolled his eyes, although there was a hint of a smile on his face. “You’ll never let that go, huh? Anyway, you better get dressed soon or you’ll be late. Boss has breakfast downstairs, I’m gonna head down first.”

With that, the other boy disappeared down the steps. Once Ren was sure he was gone, he fell back into his pillows and groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes.

The last thing that Ren wanted to do was go back to school. It had been a few days since he had accepted Maruki’s deal and it was a lot to wrap his mind around. Hell, he was used to a cat waking him up, not a human. That in of itself was going to take a lot to get used to.

If only he could have an entire day to process it all.

But Ren didn’t have that luxury. He was still a high schooler after all. 

He fished for his phone under his pillow and checked his messages as he got to his feet.

Despite the fact the chat had 8 people in it, the last message was from New Years. Which, Ren guessed, wasn’t out of the ordinary. Everyone had gotten busy over winter break; it was impossible to find a day that everyone was free. And honestly, he couldn’t blame them. All his friends were catching up with other people and spending time with family. And they deserved that time with them, he didn’t want to intrude.

Besides, Ren had all the time in the world now to catch up with them. He didn’t need to rush.

There was another message in his inbox. Swiping to it, Ren smiled when he saw it was from Makoto. It was a simple ‘Good morning’, but it still brought a smile to his face. He replied quickly before he got dressed for the day, then descended the stairs.

* * *

Downstairs was an… odd sight, to say the least.

Sojiro was behind the counter as usual, placing a cup of coffee next to Ren’s plate. That was the only normal thing. The weird-sight-that-should-have-been-a-warming-sight was seeing Wakaba in one of the booths, and Futaba right next to her.

They were engaged in a conversation about Futaba’s future. The younger girl was beaming with happiness, having her mother’s attention on her and all. But the weird sight was seeing Wakaba, seeing her so animated and _alive._ He often forgot that these people were real and not some bad imitation, Maruki really did bring them back to life.

Ren must have been staring, because Futaba waved over at him and raised a brow.

“Earth to Ren! Hellloooo? Are you gonna eat breakfast or not?” Futaba asked impatiently. 

“Futaba, you shouldn’t rush him. He’s just getting back into the swing of things, you know.” Wakaba lightly scolded. She looked to meet Ren’s eye and smiled. “You’re trying to get readjusted to everything again, aren’t you?”

Oh, she had no idea.

Ren just nodded and shuffled over to his seat at the counter.

“It’s about time you got up, kid. Better scarf down your food if you don’t want to be late on the first day back from break.” Sojiro said. He was half joking, half scolding. Ren could tell by the light smirk on his face.

Quietly, Ren ate. He listened halfheartedly to the conversation going on behind him. Futaba was excited about attending Shujin next year, Wakaba was going to take her shopping soon for new clothes, he was pretty sure that he, Ann and Ryuji came up at some point too.

Eventually, their words started to melt together, and Ren started idly poking at his food. It wasn’t until Sojiro flicked him on the back of his head that he realized how much time had passed already.

“Ow.”

“Oi, you’re going to be late.” Sojiro said.

Ren glanced at his phone, eyes going wide when he realized 10 minutes had already passed. “Shit. Sorry, I’ll see you guys later.” He nearly tripped getting to his feet, then rushed out the door. Futaba and Wakaba wished him well, and Morgana reminded him to get home on time.

The train ride to school had been the same, which was nice in a way. Some things didn’t change and that was a comforting fact. However, there was one different thing that Ren noticed, and that was the general public.

Normally, the train was filled with irritated businesspeople and uninterested school students. But today felt different. People were talking about their promotions or their high test scores, even about their relationships and ambitious projects.

It was a nice change of pace, Ren figured, even if it did feel weird.

Ren followed the flow of students, though paused when he saw Ryuji by the drink machines.

He recognized the others as Nakaoka and Takeishi, members of the track team.

“Dudeee! Congratulations! I always knew you had it in you.” Ryuji exclaimed, giving Nakaoka a good pat on the back.

Nakaoka blushed profusely and ducked his head. “Shhh! Be quiet! Asano-san and I just started dating, we don’t need the entire school to know just yet.”

Ryuji moved to grab the other boy in a headlock, but Nakaoka was too fast. He stepped away in time, running just past Ren as he escaped the blond boy’s teasing. Ryuji stepped out onto the sidewalk and yelled after him. “You can run but you can’t hide!”

“You seem lively this morning, Ryuji.” Ren said, coming up behind his friend. The blond grinned and snickered, swinging an arm over Ren’s shoulder and pulling him close.

“Oh man, how can I not be? Listen here, apparently Nakaoka and his long-time crush started dating over winter break. You know what that means for me?”

“Relentless teasing?”

“Relentless teasing. It’s going to be great.” There was a mischievous twinkle in Ryuji’s eye that Ren didn’t want to question. But he had to admit, it was nice seeing Ryuji in high spirits and getting along with the other track team members.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go catch up with him before he gets to class. I’ll see you at lunch, Ren!”

With that, Ryuji gave his hair a good ruffle before taking off, darting into the building. Ren tried to smooth his hair out before heading in, but his effort was in vain. He gave up with a sigh and continued towards the gate when someone else approached him.

“Good morning, Ren!”

Ann suddenly came up to his side, her smile as brighter than he’s ever seen. Ren smiled back, turning to face her properly. “Good morning.”

“I can’t believe our winter break has been over for a few days already, I wish we had another break soon.” Ann sighed.

“If only.” Ren replied. Together they walked into Shujin, passing by some familiar faces and a group of students gathered in the hallway.

He saw Makoto for a moment, surrounded by the other members of the student council. She caught his eye, and smiled in his direction, waving at him as he walked past. Ren didn’t want to interrupt, and waved back, disappearing into his classroom.

A few minutes before homeroom started, his phone buzzed with a new text message.

_Makoto: Sorry I couldn’t come over._

_Makoto: You know how the other student council members are._

_Makoto: They’re a talkative bunch._

Ren replied under his desk as Mr. Ushimaru walked in, gently urging the class to quiet down.

_Ren: It’s okay. I know that Tamuro loves talking._

_Ren: There’s always lunchtime at least._

The three dots danced on Ren’s screen as Mr. Ushimaru started the day’s lesson, though it seemed the teacher didn’t care that he wasn’t paying attention.

_Makoto: I think Tamuro likes talking a bit too much._

_Makoto: But yes, I’ll see you at lunchtime._

_Ren: I’ll see you then._

He slid his phone back into his pocket, then finally tuned into the lesson.

Eventually, the bell rang, releasing everyone from the classroom to go enjoy lunch. Ren gathered his belongings, slinging the light bag over his shoulder and made his way out the door. He started to head towards the student council room but was stopped by Ann’s voice.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

Ren paused and glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. “To the student council room?”

“Why?”

“To… meet Makoto?”

Ann gave him a confused look, then pointed to the stairs. “Uhh, you know Makoto is with everyone else, right?”

Ren studied her for a moment. Makoto was with everyone. Did that mean she didn’t eat lunch in the student council room anymore? That had been their go to spot for so long. And if she wasn’t there, then, where was she? And where was everyone else for that matter too?

But he didn’t want to ask. Ren had already drawn enough suspicion to him in the past week. First, he didn’t recognize Morgana, and he acted weird around Wakaba and Okurama too. Secondly, there were gaps in his memory, little bits and pieces of information that didn’t add up. Appointments Ren never remembered making, and text messages about conversations he had no context for.

His friends were getting worried about him, since it seemed like Ren wasn’t acting like himself. Sojiro even suspected he had amnesia or something, which, Ren guessed, wasn’t too far from the truth. He didn’t have any memories of this new reality, so there were gaps he was still trying to fill. However, he really didn’t want them worrying about him, and kept insisting he was fine. It didn’t feel like anyone believed him, but they did stop asking questions at least. And Ren preferred to keep it that way.

He turned around and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Right, sorry. I guess I’m a bit out of it, brain’s still in winter break mode, you know.” It was a weak excuse, but it was all he could offer. For a moment, Ren thought Ann was going to say something, but she discarded her suspicion and laughed a little.

“That’s fair, I guess. Everyone probably wishes it was still break time too.” She gestured for him to follow. “Come on, let’s go eat lunch.”

Ren followed her up the stairs and to the rooftop. As the two of them approached, he could hear the loud sound of his friends just beyond the door. Ann let out a frustrated noise as she gripped the handle, then threw the door open.

“Geez, I can hear you guys from the stairwell. They’re going to kick us out of here one day.” Ann said. She was trying to keep a straight face, but even she couldn’t help breaking into a smile. It wasn’t hard to understand why either.

Around a messy circle of tables were all their friends. Ryuji was half on top of one of the tables, reaching for something in Kasumi’s lunch. Makoto was near her, shaking her head at his antics, while Haru tried her best not to laugh in the background.

“Ryuji-senpai, do you want to try something?” Kasumi asked.

He was more than happy to accept her offer. “For real? You mean it?” Ryuji asked with a wide grin. But before he could get anything, Ann came up behind him and yanked him back into his chair.

“Ugh, sit down, Ryuji! Let Kasumi eat her lunch in peace.” She scolded.

“But it looks so good…”

“I have to admit, your lunch always looks delicious, Kasumi-chan. Do you make it yourself?” Haru inquired.

Kasumi beamed with pride and nodded. “Every day, Haru-senpai! I burn through everything I eat, so I have to make sure I get enough energy.”

Ryuji looked at his own lunch, a sandwich from the cafeteria, and hung his head in defeat. “It looks so much better than mine…”

“You should take some advice from Kasumi instead of trying to steal her food.” Ann retorted.

The conversation continued to spiral far out of control. With no chance of taking back the reigns, Ren walked around the other four and found his spot next to Makoto. She greeted him with a smile, then sighed as she looked at the center of the chaos.

“It’s probably best to leave them alone when they get like that.” She said, a hint of defeat in her voice.

“Probably. I don’t think there’s anything we could do about it, even if we wanted to.” Ren said.

She giggled. “I think you’re right about that. Ah, by the way,” Makoto scooted her chair an inch closer to him, just enough so their shoulders brushed together. “there’s a movie coming to theaters this week I want to see. They’re doing a special screening of ‘ _Like a Dragon_ ’. Sis and Dad are busy this weekend and I thought maybe you’d like to see it with me?”

Ren didn’t hesitate even a second. “Of course, it’s a date.” Makoto lit up a little, her excitement was cute. “Great, then this weekend, it’s a date.”

She pulled out her phone to make the appointment on her calendar, tapping away at her screen. Ren turned his attention back to his friends, who were still bickering and arguing about diets or lunch (he wasn’t quite sure what it was, he tuned out a while ago).

Ryuji and Ann were going at it as usual, while Haru and Kasumi watched from the sidelines. The two girls giggled about something as they ate. If Ren had to take a guess, they were making comments on the two blonde’s argument, which completely developed into something else.

As his eyes settled on Kasumi, Ren couldn’t help but smile a little bit. She was livelier than he had ever seen her, and she had no problem fitting into the ragtag group of friends it seemed. There was no doubt that Kasumi was much happier than the last time Ren saw her.

Memories of “Sumire” flashed in his mind, images of a broken girl overcome with guilt. Compared to the girl she was now… it was a drastic contrast. She truly was happier living like this, wasn’t she? His friends seemed livelier too, like they had a skip to their step. They were free of any hardships.

This was just evidence that Maruki had kept his promise, wasn’t it? Evidence that this was the right choice?

Ren’s chest tightened at the thought and something crawled up his back.

He cut that line of thought off quick, pushing it to the back of his mind.

This _was_ the right choice; he was sure of it now.

Makoto’s hand took his, taking him out of his thoughts. Ren glanced over at her. She was staring at him with a concerned look. “Everything okay?” She asked.

He thought for a moment, glancing at his friends for a long moment, then looked back at Makoto. Ren nodded and offered a smile. “Yeah, everything’s fine now. Everything’s just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is, my long ambitious project to work on for the next couple of weeks/months. 
> 
> I spent an entire week playing Royal and, considering that you've made it down to the end notes and decided to read this fic, I assume you have too. Or at least you know how the game ends. And let me just say, the third semester gave me so many ideas, and this is one of them.
> 
> I loved Maruki as a villain, and the weight of his decision is going to be fun to explore and it's something I've been wanting to write for a while. The impact it could have on the characters, it's too good of a chance to pass up, so here we are. I'm a bit hesitant to write and post this but I'll never improve if I don't try, plus I don't want to get too rusty with writing so.
> 
> There's not going to be a dedicated schedule for this fic. It's sort of going to be whenever I get to it? And I don't know if the chapters will be as long as this one. I don't want to rush things but I also don't want to stretch this out too long. I don't want to give things away but also want to leave enough breadcrumbs there for people to follow. Basically I just wanna ~write good~. 
> 
> I don't intend for this to be more than say 10 chapters. So hopefully I can find that balance and right pace. 
> 
> Also this isn't beta read, because we die like men here.
> 
> If you wanna yell at me about Persona feel free! I don't have a social media to link but I'm always around on AO3. 
> 
> But thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	3. On the Brink

Yongen-Jaya was surprisingly busy for this time of day.

Ren leaned against the wall of the movie theater, watching the crowd as they passed by. It was a pastime that he had picked up while spending time with Yusuke. And Ren had to admit, it was sort of fun in a way. But not hearing Yusuke’s colorful commentary about the crowd left him feeling a little bored.

“Ren!” Makoto called for him through the crowd. Immediately, the boy perked up, a smile forming on his face as he saw her jog towards him.

He pushed off the wall as she approached, his hand slipping into hers on an instinct. Makoto beamed at him with a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, were you waiting long?”

Ren shook his head. “Not really, I just got done helping Boss a few minutes ago.”

“That’s good, I was worried I was going to be late.”

Makoto took the lead, guiding him towards the ticket counter. She and Ren fell into conversation as they waited in line.

“Oh, by the way. Um, this may seem a little sudden, but Dad wants to invite you to dinner this week.” She said, glancing back at Ren. He felt his jaw go slack a bit and he slowly blinked, processing what she had said.

“He wants to meet me?” Ren asked, excitement rising in his chest. She giggled at his reaction, turning on her heels as she walked backwards. “Of course he wants to meet you, Ren, you’re my boyfriend. I can’t promise he won’t interrogate you though, and I apologize in advance for that.” Makoto explained, a sympatric smile on her face. “I’ll try to keep him in check. But if you survived Sis’s interrogation, I’m sure you’ll survive Dad’s.”

Makoto turned around just in time to miss the look of panic that flashed on Ren’s face. He nearly stopped in the middle of the lobby right there. Sae-san’s interrogation… fuzzy memories started to flash in his mind. A dark room, a dinky ceiling light, a cold stare from an officer, a kick to his side, the barrel of a gun in his face. It sent a shiver down his spine.

She couldn’t possibly remember that. That never happened in this reality. She couldn’t be remembering the other reality, could she?

“Ren?”

He was snapped out of his stupor by Makoto’s voice. Ren recollected his thoughts before he answered her. “Hmm?”

“I asked you if you think you’re ready to meet my father. I know he can be intimidating, but you managed to answer all of Sis’s question with no problem. And if you can answer the “What are your plans in five years” question, then I’m sure you’re prepared for any question Dad throws your way.” Makoto said, unaware of Ren’s internal panic.

A part of him felt relieved and a part of him felt stupid. On one hand, she wasn’t talking about _that_ interrogation, she was talking about Sae-san’s interrogation about his intentions with Makoto. On the other hand… he had no memories of this interrogation, so he had nothing to help him prepare for the talk with her father.

Ren kept his calm though and cleared his throat, taking back his composure. “I’m ready, I’m sure of it.” His lips curled into a smile and he squeezed her hand for a sign of reassurance. “Just promise me you won’t let him kill me, I can’t be a good boyfriend if I’m dead.”

Makoto hit his shoulder playfully, but her smile gave away her true intentions. And as they purchased their tickets and made their way into the theater, Ren’s thoughts started to drift as the ads began to play.

In the other reality, Ren had only known Makoto’s father through her stories and her words. Every now and then, when the two were laying together on his bed in the attic, she would recall her memories of her father. She always had a fond smile on her face and spoke about him with a laugh and a smile.

But now, Ren had the chance to meet him, and he was honestly excited about that fact. Which, he guessed, was a weird thing to be excited about. Most people would have been terrified to meet their girlfriend’s father. And Makoto’s father was a police officer no less, he should have been even more terrified. Yet Ren felt excited, honored even, to even have this chance.

For the first time, he started to feel at peace in this new reality. Maybe Ren could call this home now.

* * *

Makoto spent the entire movie on the edge of her seat. And while Ren did pay attention to what was happening on screen, he couldn’t help but just watch her for a bit. Her hands were balled into fists, and her eyes were glued to the action in front of her. During the suspenseful parts, he heard a quiet gasp and she reached over to grip his hand. Ren couldn’t help but laugh to himself a bit and returned the gesture in kind.

When the movie was over and the crowds started to filter out, Makoto couldn’t handle her excitement any longer. She talked about the movie once they were out of the theater, and Ren was more than happy to let her ramble on. It was one of his favorite things, honestly, watching and listening to her ramble about something. He was in no rush to silence her. However, her current train of thought was interrupted by a familiar face.

“Oh, Akechi-kun, what brings you out this way?”

The prince detective came into view, a smile plastered on his face as he greeted Ren and Makoto with a small wave of his hand. “Oh, hello Niijima-san, Amamiya-kun.” Akechi peered past them for a moment. “Did you just come from the theater? I heard that ‘ _Like a Dragon_ ’ was out today.”

“Ren and I just saw it. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, I thought it was pretty good, wouldn’t you say?” Makoto asked, glancing over at him.

“I enjoyed it, yeah. The action scenes were good, it uh, kept me engaged.” He nodded.

 _Why is he here?_ Ren thought to himself. Makoto and Akechi seemed pleased with the answer, and the two started to talk about something else. He tried to avoid eye contact with the detective as best as he could and attempted to relax his shoulders, unaware how tense they were just a moment ago.

It had been a while since Ren had seen Akechi and they didn’t exactly part on friendly terms. He still remembered the disbelief and betrayal (which is still ironic) on Akechi’s face when Ren accepted Maruki’s deal. Since then, he hadn’t seen or talked to the detective, and he really didn’t want to either.

“Ah, by the way, Amamiya-kun, when are we going to have a rematch?”

Ren blinked as he was pulled out of his thoughts, lifting his head to meet Akechi’s gaze. “Huh?”

“A rematch, in chess. You did manage to beat me last time, though maybe it was still some of your beginner’s luck coming through.” He smiled at Ren, though something felt _off._ The smile didn’t reach his eyes and it was almost like there was a hidden message behind his request.

“You play chess, Ren? You really have a lot of hobbies, don’t you?” Makoto said with a giggle. She swung their hands between them lightly.

Ren’s free hand went to the back of his neck. “I like to stay busy.” He supplied an answer then turned to Akechi. “Well, any time would be good for me, I suppose.”

That fake-nice-smile crawled on Akechi’s face. “I see. Well, I tried reaching out to you via text message, but you haven’t replied. I had been meaning to swing by Leblanc again, but I found myself busy with work.”

He tried not to flinch and cleared his throat. This was not the time to lose his composure, especially in front of Makoto. Instead, Ren pulled out his phone. “Sorry. I got a new phone over the new year and I didn’t get to transfer my contacts over.” That was half a truth, half a lie. He did get a new phone, which was Sojiro’s gift to him. A congratulation gift for staying at Leblanc and Shujin for the next year. Of course, Ren accepted, how could he not? And he did manage to transfer all his contacts over.

Except Akechi. He purposefully left him out, but there was no avoiding it now.

The other boy accepted the white lie easily and gave Ren a signature smile. “I see. Well, in that case, let’s exchange numbers again and I’ll swing by Leblanc sometime for that rematch.”

With no way out, Ren exchanged information with Akechi again. That seemed to satisfy him, and the detective pocketed his phone away.

“You’ll have to tell me who wins, I’m curious who’ll be the victor in that match.” Makoto said, unaware of the silent tension between them. Ren just smiled and nodded, then looked to address Akechi once more. “I’ll text you later then?” He asked.

That fake smile appeared on his face again and Akechi nodded. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

As Makoto said goodbye and Ren turned around, he heard Akechi’s voice once more.

“Oh, before I go, there’s one last thing I wanted to ask you.”

Ren glanced over his shoulder with a curious stare. He saw the other boy with an innocent smile and a tilt of his head. “Are you happy, Amamiya-kun?”

The question caught Ren off guard. He couldn’t take his eyes off Akechi now, who held an all-knowing smile on his face.

Makoto didn’t seem to sense anything off. Instead, she peered over at Ren, then shifted her gaze to Akechi. She would never admit it, but he was certain she was anxious to hear his answer. Who could blame her? She probably thought Akechi was inquiring about their relationship. The way he phrased it, and the fact he caught them in the middle of a date made it easy to interpret the question that way.

But Ren knew better than that. He knew that question had a different meaning behind it. Although it was a simple question, Ren knew what Akechi really meant.

_Are you happy with your decision?_

Ren’s chest tightened again, and he almost found it difficult to breathe. He couldn’t falter under Akechi’s pressure, not now. He had to stay composed. The last thing Ren wanted to do was give Akechi any satisfaction. A part of him wanted to prove the other boy wrong, that he _was_ happy with his decision. Because he was. Ren finally felt some peace today, that was no lie.

So even though the weight on his chest was suffocating, and there wasn't enough air in his lungs, Ren lifted his head and forced a smile that only Akechi could see. “Of course I am.”

Akechi studied him for a long moment, searching for _something_ on Ren’s face and in his answer. But Ren wasn’t going to give anything away, not today. He kept his smile up and dared the detective to say something in response. 

It was difficult to tell what Akechi was even searching for. The boy didn’t give away what he was thinking, hiding behind a well-built façade. But when it seemed he found what he was looking for, Akechi turned around and waved a hand over his shoulder. “I see. Well then, it was nice seeing you two, until next time.”

Once he disappeared into the crowd, Ren turned on his heels and started to walk in the opposite direction, determined to get away. Where? He didn't care, just anywhere but here was fine with him. Makoto was quick to be by his side, wrapping her hand around his arm. She hummed in content, then started talking about dinner plans for that week, oblivious to the weight of their previous exchange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than the other chapter, but hopefully I accomplished what I wanted to.
> 
> Also, can I just say wow? Nearly 200 hits already and there's only one chapter out? If that isn't a motivator, I don't know what is. Thank you for reading.
> 
> This chapter was fun to write. Akechi is weird to write but I think I have a handle on his character for the purpose of this fic.
> 
> If it seems like Makoto is a bit out of character, that is on purpose. I don't want to go into a full ramble, because of ~story spoilers~, but it's meant to feel like that. It'll make sense later on, I promise.
> 
> Also, I did this in one sitting and it isn't beta read, because of course it isn't, we die like men(tm). It's easier for me to complete chapters in one sitting rather than over a week, my thoughts are in one place and my ideas aren't scattered. But I edited it to the best of my abilities, and probably will do tiny edits here and there. I wanted to get this chapter out and keep the momentum going.
> 
> In any case, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter.


	4. Cracks

Goro couldn’t believe it. After all these years being alive, there really was a first for everything.

He somehow hated his life even more now.

Honestly, how was that even possible?

Well no, Goro knew how it was possible. It was all because of one man named Maruki, who was nothing but a delusional madman in his book. He was a person trying to play savior, forcing himself in a role that no one asked him to play. And Goro was trapped in this hellish play. 

He didn't know exactly when or how it happened, but one moment he was face to face with a puppet who wore his own face, then the next, Goro was outside of the Diet Building, sprawled face first into the grass. It was weird, it was startling, and most of all, it was impossible. Except it wasn't, not to Maruki at least. How a man gained the power to change the fabric of reality was beyond him. But no matter what the case, Goro wanted out. This was hell on earth of he had ever seen it. But, given the current circumstances (no thanks to one particular thief), he was forced to be a player in Maruki's world.

So here he was, donning his ‘detective prince’ mask one more time to keep the public, and the Phantom Thieves, off his trail as he tried to figure out how to take Maruki down. Alone. Because someone was a spineless piece of shit.

The mere thought just made Goro's blood boil. He remembered that day very clearly. Amamiya's hand shook as he faced Maruki, who's words were disgustingly gentle and kind. Honestly, the fact that Amamiya had accepted Maruki’s deal with no hesitation angered Goro to no end. He fell for the man's lies and false security. This wasn't a perfect world or utopia, it was a prison. People were brainwashed, for god's sake, how was that a utopia? And the worst part of it all? There was nothing that Goro could do. Because trust him, he tried to go back into Maruki's palace, but quickly realized he was out matched. 

The Metaverse still existed, though hanging on by a thread by Maruki's palace, and Loki was still there in the back of his mind. But even with Loki's power, there was no chance Goro could take out that palace by himself. He needed help. But the Thieves were out of commission, and Amamiya had refused to talk to him since that day.

So, once again, Goro found himself alone, living in the palm of someone’s hand. 

And boy, it absolutely sucked. Just when he thought he was finally done letting other people control his life, he fell right back into someone else's palm. And it made Goro sick to his stomach. Not only that, but the world that he fell into was absolutely disgusting. People acted like robots, drones or puppets that obeyed a single master. It was like they were programmed to be happy and giddy, to always have a positive outlook on life. Nothing bad happened ever to them, they were untouchable to hardships and failure. They got their promotions, their relationships, their money. Whatever the hell people wished for nowadays, they got it.

Goro was no exception to this either. Released from police custody, his entire confession about Shido and his involvement with the joke of a political figure had been wiped, and he had been getting messages from different universities, who were scouting for talent. 

Everything was going too well for him. He didn't earn any of this attention, some of the things happening to him were just too good to be true. It honestly made him sick. And the worst part of it all, was that Goro just had to sit there and bear it all. It wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter though. He no longer had control over his own life. The people around him had this perception of him, the detective prince persona or whatever. And Goro couldn’t break that perception of himself just yet. He didn’t know the extent of Maruki’s surveillance over the ‘real world’. If the madman could survey him outside of the palace, he needed to lay low for a while, and not bring attention to himself.

So in the following days, after Amamiya had accepted Maruki’s deal, he decided to live in this reality as best as he could. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was the only choice he had for now. Goro played up to his TV personality once more, all while figuring out a plan on how to get through Maruki’s palace. He went through plan after plan in his head, but there was only one that made sense.

And, unfortunately, that plan was getting the Phantom Thieves back together somehow (Goro thought it was stupidly ironic how it was up to _him_ to bring them together).

It was ridiculous and absurd, but it was the only chance he figured he had. For one, they were the only other Persona users he knew about. There was Yoshizawa, but she was inexperienced and her Persona was unpredictable. Goro assumed it had something to do with the fact she was living a lie, but whatever the case was, he didn't have time to fix her. His only choice was the other Thieves. It wasn’t like he could grab someone off the street, shove them in the Metaverse, and hold them at gunpoint to make them get a Persona. Well, he could, but Goro assumed his results would vary. Time was of the essence too, he had no idea how much longer he had. Honestly speaking, he didn't know if this reality could be changed, but even if he had the chance to try, he had to.

In any case, Goro had his plan. The Thieves knew how to use their Personas and were already adept at traveling through palaces, they were the ideal teammates. Even if Goro couldn’t convince Amamiya to work with him, if he could somehow get the Thieves on his side, that would suffice.

So that was that. As stupid as it sounded, Goro needed to bring back the Phantom Thieves of hearts.

Was it possible to hate his life even more now?

Yes.

Yes, it was.

* * *

For the time being, Goro decided to lay low, and live his life as the detective prince. He still needed some more time to figure out how to break the Thieves out of the illusion, all while keeping Maruki and possibly Amamiya in the dark about it. If that boy had any fatal flaw, it was his love and protectiveness over his friends. And since they were happy, even if their life was a lie, Amamiya thought it would be best to keep it that way. If he heard Goro wanted to break their happiness, it would come as no surprise that he would try and stop him.

Goro didn't have all the time in the world, but this wasn't something he could just rush through either. Every move of his had to be planned and purposeful. He had a stronger opponent to outwit this time, Goro couldn't take too many chances.

But when he ran into Niijima and Amamiya, he just couldn't help himself but pry for information. 

"Are you happy, Amamiya-kun?"

That question had taken the former leader of the Phantom Thieves off guard. Niijima seemed oblivious to the weight of the question, instead looking at her boyfriend with anticipation. Goro suspected she misunderstood the question, but Amamiya did not. 

His shoulders seemed to stiffen and he drew in a sharp breath. He refused to meet Goro's eyes, which were innocently staring at him, awaiting an answer. But a moment later, Amamiya just smiled at him and said, "Of course I am." He gave away nothing in his answer, but there was something pained in his voice, and a guilty look in his eyes. It was gone the moment Goro noticed it though, Amamiya was quick to put his shield back up. They went their separate ways after that, Niijima clinging onto his arm with a giggle as they departed. 

It wasn’t long after their meeting in Yongen-Jaya that Goro saw Amamiya again, this time without Niijima glued to his side. 

It was at the train station platform, as Goro was waiting for his train to come through. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amamiya and Takamaki, joined by a somewhat familiar face. The three of them had stepped off the train and lingered near the gate. Amamiya lagged behind them as if to give them space. Takamaki turned on her heels to face Amamiya, face bright and eyes wide. She seemed excited about something, turning to the girl beside her and gently shaking her arm.

"Oh! I heard there's a sale at the bakery, we should go check it out!" Takamaki stated.

"Is there? I thought that was next week." He recognized the girl was Suzui.

That girl was fairing better in this reality too apparently. She seemed lighter, happier, a skip in her step and giddiness in her laugh. Suzui was no longer carrying any emotional baggage that Kamoshida had given her it seemed. So just like Wakaba and Okumura, she had been fixed, and was living it up.

Goro rolled his eyes at the thought and pocketed his phone. He was about to leave and board his train when he overheard something intriguing.

“Shiho and I are going to go shop for a while. It was nice seeing you, Ren! I’ll catch up with you later!”

“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Amamiya-kun.”

He glanced over to the side towards the trio. Takamaki linked her arm with Suzui, giving a peace sign to Amamiya as she dragged her friend along with her. The two girls giggled to themselves, talking about whatever as they disappeared into the crowd. Amamiya waved them off with a smile, but the moment they were out of sight, he left his hand and smile fall. He stood there in the middle of the crowd, still staring in the direction that the two girls had gone down.

Now, Goro found this odd for a few reasons.

For one, Amamiya and his band of thieves were nearly inseparable. He was always surrounded by one or more of the Thieves. They were drawn to Amamiya, like moths to a flame. For some reason, he had this… this charm about him, that had people gravitate towards him. And ever since he arrived in Tokyo, he had never been alone. 

Secondly, Goro saw something flash across Amamiya’s face. It was when the girls disappeared and were out of ear shot, Amamiya ducked his head and stared at the ground. For a split second, he looked ashamed of himself. Of what? The detective couldn’t really say. 

After that, Amamiya lingered around the platform for a couple of minutes. He walked off to the side, leaning against the wall of the gate as he pulled his phone out. Goro watched as the boy tapped away at his screen, and even called someone at one point. He was a little too far away to hear the conversation completely, but after the call was over, Amamiya stared at his screen for a little longer. Then, with a heavy sigh, he pocketed his phone and stepped back onto the train. 

It was a odd incident, and Goro could have chalked it up to nothing. Amamiya had ran into the two girls on the train, rode with them to their stop, and that’s where they parted. But something told Goro it wasn’t that simple. Maybe it was his ‘detective instincts’ telling him otherwise, or maybe it was Loki bringing out the morbid curiosity of his again. But Goro couldn’t call that incident nothing, especially when something similar happened soon after.

This time, it was early morning, a couple of days after he had seen Amamiya on the platform. He was getting ready to head to school when he heard Sakamoto’s voice boom through the station (that idiot could not shut up, ever).

“Yooo! Ren!”

Goro winced at the volume and turned towards the source. Even over the noise of the crowd, that blonde's voice really stuck out. It wasn't hard to pick them out from the crowd either, Goro's eyes round them easily. There was Sakamoto and Amamiya standing on the platform, backs turned to him. The former covered in snow completely, and the latter pulling down his hood. Sakamoto ran a hand through his hair and shook off the snow like a dog after a bath. Amamiya tried to shield himself with his hand but failed, earning a grin from the blonde. Neither of them noticed Goro's presence, and he dared to step closer, just to hear what they were saying.

“Do you want to go to Ogikuto after school?” Amamiya asked as Sakamoto brushed the last of the snowflakes out of his hair.

“No can do today, I got practice with the team after school today. We’re finally making some progress, man! It’s been great.” Said Sakamoto with a grin. "I can't believe how far we've come already, Coach says we'll be winnin' tournaments in no time."

“Oh, that’s… good to hear." The other tried to hide his disappointment. Sakamoto may have missed it, but Goro heard it as clear as day. Amamiya pocketed his hands and tapped his foot on the ground, a nervous tick of his that Goro had come to know. "Well, I’ll see you at lunch then?”

“Yeah!”

A beat later, Sakamoto smacked his forehead and said, “Oh shit, actually today I won’t be able to join you guys. Our coach is treatin’ us all in the cafeteria today, it’s kinda like a celebration! A late new year’s celebration, so the entire team’s gonna be there. But we’ll catch up later, k?”

The train doors opened and Sakamoto patted Amamiya playfully on the back. He forced the other boy into the train, and swung an arm over his shoulder, excitedly talking about something else as the doors closed. Goro watched as another ping of shame and guilt crossed Amamiya's face, just before the train started to move, and whisked the two away.

And as the week went on, more incidents like that continued to happen. Amamiya would run into one of the other Thieves (and Goro just so happened to be nearby), they would talk for a few minutes and then go their separate ways. It happened with the Okumura's once. Goro saw the father and daughter pair on the Central Street once in front of Big Bang Burger, discussing their next business plan, when Amamiya happened to walk by. He stopped to talk to the two for a little bit, but Okumura had to cut the conversation short when his phone rang. His daughter bowed and apologized to Amamiya as the limo pulled up. And again, the boy was left by himself, standing on the corner of the street as he watched the limo disappear. 

It happened with Kitagawa as well. Goro had been invited to a art exhibit, and for the sake of publicity, he accepted. When he arrived, he saw Kitagawa standing proudly next to Madarame, surrounded by a mass of reporters and microphones. And then, off to the side, Amamiya watched. He caught Kitagawa's eye for a moment, and the blue hair boy gave his friend a gentle smile. That moment didn't last long though, as a reporter drew Kitagawa's attention away. 

Since then, things started to change. Goro would see Amamiya on the train platform by himself, head down and eyes unfocused. It was a odd sight to see, especially out of him of all people. Occasionally at night, Goro saw him peek his head into the jazz club. Phone in his hand, he’d linger by the entrance for a few minutes, tapping away or calling people. Amamiya would lean against the wall, eyes never leaving the door. And then, when no one came, he left.

The pieces were starting to fall in place now. Goro thought that maybe, just maybe, he could take advantage of Amamiya's current state, and bring him back to his senses. But when he picked up his phone and hovered over the call button on Amamiya's name, he was surprised to find a text from him instead.

Ren: Do you feel up to that chess rematch tonight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so the last time I posted a chapter, this was just about to hit 200 hits. And then it jumped to 500 in a few days.
> 
> I hope you all stick around after this chapter because boy oh boy, this one was a bit difficult. I think it was because this is from Goro's perspective, who is kinda crazy and unhinged in the third semester, so getting a grasp on his character was sort of hard. There was a time where I wanted to delete everything I had and rewrite it (which I still might do sometime in the future) but I wanted to also get this chapter out.
> 
> Hopefully, it doesn't feel too rushed. This is coming from Goro's perspective after all, he's seeing events that happen to Ren from a outsider's perspective. Plus, next chapter, we'll be getting into the good stuff. I have the end of that chapter already written out, and the rest of the story outlined and ready to go. It might change, if I go overboard and write more than I intended, but this story should still stay under 10 chapters.
> 
> I hope I did Goro Akechi and his personality justice though and you stick around for future chapters. I feel more confidant writing those and I have a lot planned for the rest of this. So thank you for sticking around, and I'll see you in the next one.


End file.
